No Matter What
by Koudelka
Summary: Okay. Well, I was sorta torn on the rating. There is a tiny undescriptive lemon scene... so, yeah. Anyway. Its a Quifer. Please R&R.
1. Discoveries

Quistis Trepe glared at Seifer Almasy. Out of all of the staring SeeDs, Quistis' look was the coldest of all. Her cold blue eyes were directed at him with utter hatred, and he scowled back at the crowd and crossed his arms. His trenchcoat was gone, exposing his golden, muscular arms. Cid continued.  
  
"And, Mr. Almasy, you will be banned from GARDEN forever. Your two companions, Fujin Sanada and Raijin Hefton are allowed to stay. You will be sent to Galbadia prison for eight years." It was after the final battle, and Seifer was just getting his punishment for fighting on the wrong side...  
  
~~~  
  
Quistis woke up with sweat running down her face. It was four years later and Quistis was living in a small apartment in Dollet. She had an occupation of an instructor to teens at some center in town. She hated it. The former SeeD had had this nightmare several times a week for the past four years. She couldn't help wonder why, Seifer would be in prison for another four years. Good.  
  
"One AM. I'll never be able to get back to sleep." She stood up and shivered when her legs were exposed to the coldness of Dollet's winters. She fixed the strap of her tank top as she walked into the kitchen for some coffee. Quistis put the coffee on and went to take a shower. She woke up immediately and walked out of the house, fully dressed in a leather jacket, and her normal attire. It was the same as her pinkish-orange outfit, except black.   
  
She clutched the jacket against her body as she walked through the cold and soulless streets of Dollet. There was no one around, not even a car; everyone was sleeping. Actually, Quistis had no idea where she was going, probably to a bar... She closed her eyes and continued walking as a cold wind blew in her face. She felt herself bump into someone. She landed on the ground.  
  
"Fuck! Watch it!" Said a husky male voice. Quistis rubbed her eyes and looked up to see a blonde man, who was dressed all in black in front of her. She stood up and brushed herself off.  
  
"I'm sorry..." She muttered. Then she seen it. Something about him. She looked at him for awhile, not able to place name and face. "Erm, if you don't mind my asking... what's your name...?"  
  
"I do mind your asking." He said.  
  
"Oh, well, what the hell are you doing out at two in the morning?" Asked Quistis.  
  
"Well, uh... Same could be asked about yourself." He said. Quistis crossed her arms.  
  
"I couldn't sleep, whats your excuse?!"  
  
"I, uh... couldn't sleep either..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Um, look, we are gonna wake up people, lets go in this bar place." The man said pointing to a bar. Quistis nodded, that was where she was going anyway. They walked in and took a seat at the bar.  
  
"What can I get ya, Quistis?" Quistis ordered something light, and then the man ordered.  
  
"I'll have the strongest you got!" He said. Quistis looked over at the man, fully intrigued. Something about his voice...  
  
"So," Quistis asked. "Whats your name?"  
  
"Eh..."  
  
"Oh, you sort of... private?" She asked. The man just nodded.  
  
"Well, I'm Quistis Trepe..." The man's green eyes widened, as if some thought had been confirmed.  
  
"Oh." He muttered as he gulped down a sip of the brownish liquid that had been put down before him.  
  
"Yeah... is there something wrong?" Quistis asked in a concerned voice.  
  
"Quistis, I need to... Nevermind." The man shook his head, and drank some more of his drink. "This stuff tastes like shit...."  
  
"Seifer?!" Quistis' eyes widened and she covered her mouth. Those words... Sounded so much like Seifer Almasy. "I'm sorry... nevermind..." Quistis gulped down a huge portion of her drink, wishing she'd ordered something much stronger.  
  
"Who's this Seifer...? Tell me about him..." He asked, staring at her, and motioning for the bar tender to bring them another round. For some reason, Quistis felt as if she was able to trust this man... with her most inner thoughts, and besides, she was half drunk- why not?  
  
"Back... back when I was a SeeD... I fought in the sorceress battles... Surely you have heard of him... Seifer Almasy?"  
  
"Oh! That Seifer Almasy... What about him?"  
  
"I guess I liked him... for a time, then he joined the other side and..." Quistis took her newly arrived drink and gulped it all down. The man nodded.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"Thats it. You just resemble him a bit, but you couldn't be, he is still in prison."  
  
"Unless he escaped." The man added. Quistis was too drunk to get the hint.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"And was sitting next to you now..." He said, seductive look in his eyes. Quistis stood up, and backed away, a shocked look on her face.  
  
"Seifer, what the hell are you... doing here?!"  
  
"Sit down, Quisty, you'll cause a scene."  
  
"The bar is empty, Seifer!"  
  
"Oh yeah. Uh, Quistis, just sit down." Quistis sat next to Seifer, and grabbed his drink, gulping the brown nastiness down.  
  
"Seifer, you escaped?! They are going to catch you... or something... Or, even better, I'll-"  
  
"Don't you dare!" Seifer tossed some gil on the counter and slipped his arm around Quistis' waist and walked her out of the bar.  
  
"Seifer... How the hell!?""  
  
"Easy... I was at the prison, WORKING there." Seifer said. Quistis took his arm from around her waist.  
  
"... I have to inform the authorities..."  
  
"Quistis, stop acting like a bitch. You don't want to inform the authorities, to you, its just 'the right thing to do.'"  
  
"Seifer Almasy! You get you and your ego out of here!"  
  
"...Tch, fine." Seifer walked away from her, and Quistis stood where he left her, and then the alcohol kicked in. 'Quists Trepe' She thought to herself ' you are an arrant fool. Look at this. This man had been invading your dreams for a reason not even you know, and you kick him out of your sight!' Quistis clutched her head, rubbing her temples. She felt light-headed. Ah, the feeling of being drunk. She looked at Seifer's disapearing figure and sighed. She was dissapointed in herself. She kicked at the sidewalk, but ended up almost falling, and feeling dizzy. She had never really been so drunk before, just an occasional alcoholic beverage, but she had two drinks, plus Seifer's 'strongest ya got' drink. Her head started to throb.   
  
"SEIFER! WAIT!" 'What I am I doing?!" She thought to herself as she ran up to the man.  
  
"...What?" He turned. She straightened her vision, squinting at Seifer.  
  
"I... erm, thanks for paying for my drink..." She said. She hit her head with her hand, realizing that she had just screwed up all of her efforts.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." He kept walking. Quistis decided that she needed to sit down somewhere, and she walked away, toward a small, public park, and sat on a bench. She fell asleep.  
  
When Quistis woke up, it was around four AM. She was never able to sleep for more than an hour at a time lately. It was still dark out, being winter. She looked around, and seen a figure standing next to the bench... Seifer?  
  
"Hey..." She said, rubbing her head.  
  
"I have a favor to ask of you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I need you to buy me a ticket to... Esthar... train ticket."  
  
"Why can't you?"  
  
"These asshole train people know me by face."  
  
"So, won't you just be noticed on the train...?"  
  
"Fuck..."  
  
"Here... I have an idea." Quistis stood up, nearly falling down, still half drunk.   
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Y, yeah." She said, a little embarassed. 'Why am I helping him... some who betrayed me... and my friends...?' She picked up a pay phone, and tossed 5gil in the slot. She dialed her work number and left a message.  
  
"Hi, this is Quistis Trepe, I won't be able to come into work for the next three days... I apologize. Bye."  
  
"What the hell was that for...?" Seifer asked.  
  
"You." She tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Just come with me, dammit." Quistis snapped.  
  
"Alright..." Quistis could tell Seifer felt uneasy, since he was used to taking care of himself. Quistis walked toward her apartment, and Seifer followed silently. She opened the door, and he walked in.  
  
"Ah, nice place ya got!"  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
"So, what are we doing here?"  
  
"I'm getting some gil... And, Seifer? I'm gonna leave at around five to get the tickets-"  
  
"Tickets?" He said, emphasizing the plural sound.  
  
"How the hell else are you going to get on a train? It'll work... ok?" She said, tossing her leather jacket on a chair.  
  
"Why are you helping me anyway?" Seifer asked, plopping on Quistis' bed. Quistis froze, she had no idea... She ignored the question, pretending she didn't hear it.  
  
"Go take a shower, you're filthy."  
  
"I don't need your help..."  
  
"Sure, you don't need my help getting back INto prison, but staying out... thats another thing." Seifer sighed, and walked into the bathroom, semi-slamming the door behind him. Quistis sat on the bed, and sighed... 'Helping a fugitive... who betrayed you, grew up with you... Nice.' In about five minutes, Seifer walked out of the bathroom, his hair blonde again, instead of the brownish color it had turned due to dirt and the like. She stared at him for a minute, then realized she was staring, and looked away.  
  
"I have to go. I'll be back." She said, grabbing her jacket and walking out the door.  
  
When Quistis arrived at the train station, it was just opening.  
  
"Hi, how can I help you!?" Asked an all too happy girl from behind the desk.  
  
"I'd like two tickets to Timber."  
  
"What time...?"  
  
"Around nine."  
  
"Well, we have a train leaving at 7:30am... and 11:00 am, but thats all for this morning."  
  
"7:30."  
  
"Alright. We'll need to take your picture, just for verification... and fingerprints as well, its just procedure for Esthar."  
  
"Sure." Quistis pressed her fingers on the black ink pad, and pressed them on a sheet of paper. The woman took the picture, and it was placed on a ticket, which was handed to Quistis.   
  
"I asked for two tickets..." Quistis said.  
  
"Well, I can't give you the other one... unless they are related."  
  
"He's my... husband." It just slipped out. Suddenly, her headache came rushing back with a powerful punch. "Ugh..."  
  
"Oh, okay! Here ya go!" The woman scrawled something on another ticket and handed it to Quistis. "400gil!" Quistis' headache worsened as she took out 400 gil from her small, black purse. "Have a nice day!" The woman said, smiling widely.   
  
"Sure..." Quistis replied dully as she shoved the two tickets in her pocket and headed back to her apartment... Would he still be there? She arrived, and opened the door. Everything was silent... Empty?  
  
"Seifer?!"  
  
"What? I'm in here." Said a voice coming from the bathroom.  
  
"I've got the tickets..."  
  
"You know, you don't need to come with me..." He said as Quistis walked into the bathroom. Seifer was slicking back his hair to perfection.  
  
"Yeah, I do, they ran all sorta of verification tests on me... I mean... even fingerprints." Quistis held up her hand, revealing black fingertips.  
  
"So, how the hell do I get on the train, this way?!"  
  
"I said you were my husband. No verification needed."  
  
"...Okay." Quistis stayed silent as she pushed Seifer away from the mirror above the sink, so she could wash her hands of the ink. She dried them on a towel, once she realized that not all of the ink would come off. She sighed and grabbed a small, red barette, and pulled her hair up behind her head, and just as she was about to slip the barette in, she heard Seifer.  
  
"Leave it down." And he walked out of the bathroom. Quistis contemplated whether to leave it down or not... She decided to do what Seifer said, besides, she didn't have time to worry about her hair. She thought she seen Seifer smile when she walked back into the bedroom, but she couldn't be sure... She walked into her small kitchen, and poured the leftovers of the coffee that she had made at around one in a green mug, and sat alone at the kitchen table. Quistis glanced over at Seifer, who was lying on her bed, now sleeping. He must not have slept in a few days. It was odd, to Quistis, he looked so peaceful in sleep, but when he was awake, he was hot-headed and arrogant... She stood up and grabbed her coffee, and walked over to the bed. She watched him sleep for awhile. 'Why... why did you come to Dollet, Seifer? Why did you trust me...? Why did you betray me...?' Quistis nearly dropped her mug of coffee when his green eyes opened. He got a cold look in his eye immediately, but for a spilt second, before Seifer realized he was awake, she seen something peaceful in those eyes, she liked it.  
  
"What're ya doing?"  
  
"I was, um, just coming over here to wake you up. We have to go." Quistis lied. She had come over here to watch him sleep, she just hoped he didn't know. Quistis walked over and grabbed her jacket, but decided not to wear it. She just tossed it in the closet...  
  
"What was that?!"  
  
"What was what?" Quistis asked innocently.  
  
"That!" Seifer stood up demandingly and walked over to the coat closet, and opened the door.  
  
"Wait! Don't go in there. Privacy!" Seifer smiled mockingly as he pulled out a familar grey trenchcoat, with tattered ends.  
  
End Chapter 1. 


	2. Confessions

Quistis felt her face turn hot. She tried to stop it from growing redder but she couldn't.  
  
"Whats this doing in here, miss Quistis?" Seifer asked.  
  
"I, uh... When you.. uh, came back they were gonna throw it out... so I took it... you know... so... um..." Quistis muttered. Her face had cooled down, and she was calmer. "For a memory. I figured I'd never see you again, and I grew up with you, so, ya, I mean, you know." She looked up, trying to get some sort of reaction out of him, but couldn't, so she just grabbed the trenchcoat away from him, and tossed it hapharzardly in the closet.  
  
"Hey, that's mine, you know!"  
  
"As does everyone else, thats why its staying here."   
  
"Hey, I hear it gets real cold in Esthar around winter..."  
  
"Fine, I'll take a jacket." She muttered and grabbed her leather jacket back out of the closet.  
  
"No, I was refering to me." He said, pointing to is bare arms.  
  
"Well, what the hell do you want me to do, Seifer?"  
  
"I dunno. My trenchcoat would be nice..."  
  
"...If you want to get caught..."  
  
"Give it to me." She tossed it at him. Seifer prepared to tear the Hyperion crosses off, but Quistis stopped him.  
  
"Everyone will be able to tell what was here, if you do it that way." She took the trenchcoat and brought it into the kitchen, where she carefully cut the crosses off. "Hmm, well that was easy, obviously these weren't sewn on by a pro, but whoever it was did a nice job." She said as she handed the clean, regular grey trechcoat back to him.  
  
"Fujin did it for me..." He said, scratching behind his neck.  
  
"Oh... right." She hated Fujin. Fujin always tried to keep Seifer to herself, even when she betrayed him in the end, along with Raijin, by pleading not guilty and going back to Balamb GARDEN. Hyne, they annoyed Quistis so much.   
  
"Quistis...?"  
  
"Yeah?" Quistis asked, slipping on her jacket. She turned, and seen Seifer wearing his trenchcoat... She remembered him so well now... Seifer... Her eyes burned, and then watered, for no reason. She didn't understand. She placed her finger under her right eye, just to make sure it didn't look like she was crying... But she wasn't crying, right? ...  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Everything."  
  
"Yeah, its no problem." She walked out the door, and Seifer followed. They arrived and were seated on the train, after verification tests on Quistis. They sat, and the train was empty except for an elderly lady who was sleeping for it was very early. A very attractive attendant came up to Seifer, and asked him a question.  
  
"I'm sorry for any inconvienace. I didn't catch your name, we need it for the record... you know, procedure."  
  
"Oh, don't worry, no inconvience" Seifer said sweetly. His flirting made Quistis' blood boil. "My name is Jon Suzuki." Quistis just stared at Seifer. 'Jon Suzuki...? What the hell?"  
  
"Oh, alright."  
  
"My pleasure." Seifer said with a smile. The attendant smiled flirtatiously.   
  
"Thanks, by the way, my name is Julie."  
  
"Alright, see you, Julie." She smiled and walked away.  
  
"Seifer! You are supposed to be a married man!"  
  
"Yeah, so? Whats wrong?"  
  
"You were flirting with her."  
  
"So? What do you care?" He asked. Quistis scowled at him, and the train ride continued. She must've fallen asleep, because she had a weird dream. It was the same reoccuring dream as usual... except one thing changed; In the dream, Quistis started crying when Seifer was sent to prison.  
  
Her blue eyes shot open and she looked around. She wiped a stray tear or two away from her eyes, and realized she had fallen asleep on Seifer's shoulder. Quistis looked up at him. He was staring far away, obviously in deep thought. She lifted her head off of his shoulder slowly and sat up.  
  
"Are you okay? Were you crying?"  
  
"Sorry, I just... had a bad dream." She muttered, glad the only other passenger was still sleeping.  
  
"What was it about?" He asked, concerned. Quistis ignored this question.  
  
"How long was I asleep...?"  
  
"An hour..."  
  
"Oh... You should've woken me up."  
  
"Oh, yeah right, the only time you look peaceful is when you sleep, other times, its like-"  
  
"Same could be said about you, Seifer." Quistis interupted. Seifer remained quiet, and it stayed like that for awhile. Quistis looked up at Seifer, who seemed to still be in deep thought.  
  
"What are you thinking about?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"Its nothing." The train came to a halt.  
  
"We aren't in Esthar yet..."  
  
"YEAH BABY! Hah! I'm going ta Esthar..." That was it. The one and only voice of Zell Dincht.  
  
"Seifer... Thats Zell. He'll recognize you for sure."  
  
"Go have a seat next to the married couple." Said Julie, the attendant.  
  
"As if things couldn't get fucking worse." Muttered Seifer.  
  
"Quick, Seifer! Go... into the bathroom."   
  
"Right." Seifer ran into the bathroom, just as Zell walked in.  
  
"Quisty?! Quistis! Yo, whats up?"  
  
"Hello, Zell. Long time no see."  
  
"Yeah!" Julie walked in.  
  
"Sir, the train is going to move. Sit down next to those two... Oh, miss, where is your husband...?"  
  
"Bathroom..."  
  
"HUSBAND?!" Zell said the second Julie left.  
  
"Yeah..." 'Dammit! I have myself in a fix... damn!' She thought.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Uh.. his name is Jon."  
  
"Wow. Where is he?"  
  
"Bathroom..."  
  
"Cool! When's he coming out?!"  
  
"I DON'T know..."  
  
"Oh, yeah, heh heh." A half hour passed of "what have you been doings" and the likes when Zell finally said.   
  
"He's been in there for nearly an hour! Where is he?!"  
  
"He's, uh, having problems... He ate some bad fish yesterday."  
  
"Oh! Hah." The rest of the ride was silent, and they finally got to Esthar.  
  
"How long are you staying here, Zell?"  
  
"Three days."   
  
"Oh, I see. Well, nice seeing you!"  
  
"Great, nice seeing you too. You staying at the hotel, Quisty?!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Maybe I'll stop by!"  
  
"Okay, see you then." 'Dammit.' Quistis thought as her headache got worse and worse. She walked towards the bathroom. She knocked.   
  
"Seifer?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You can come out now..."  
  
"Damned Chicken-wuss." The two exited the train and walked to the hotel and rented a room with the rest of Quistis' gil. They could only afford one room. 200gil.  
  
When they got there, Quistis crossed her arms and made an announcement. "Seifer, Zell thinks I am married to some guy name Jon. Now, I know you don't give a shit... but he's gonna tell-" Seifer grabbed Quistis by the arm and drew her close to him. He kissed her passionately on the lips, and was unable to control himself. He couldn't help himself. He kissed her harder, and to his surprise she kissed back. Thoughts rushed through both of their mind, and Quistis was so confused. She didn't know what she was doing, or why she was doing it, but she liked it... It made her feel light. Her headache was torn away. Suddenly nothing else mattered but the man who stood before her, holding her, and every single emotion that for the the last four years that had made her go down to the bar every night/morning was lifted away. Even if it was just for that moment, Quistis finally knew what she was feeling.  
  
"Seifer..."  
  
"You're so cute when you're upset..." He whispered. She smiled slightly. There was a knock at the door. "Who the hell ruined my moment!?" Seifer asked.  
  
"Yo, Quistis!! Its me."  
  
"Zell."  
  
"Hyne damned Chicken-wuss."  
  
"Seifer... Er, get in the bathroom."  
  
"Again? Damn..."  
  
"Come in, Zell."  
  
"Where is he?!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Your husband, of course."  
  
"He, um, went to the store to pick up some things I needed."  
  
"Oh, cool!"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Are you two gonna have kids?" It seemed Seifer, from the bathroom, couldn't contain his laughter at Zell's last comment. The two heard a faint chuckle from the bathroom. Quistis pretended not to hear it. "What was that?"  
  
"What was what?"  
  
"Laughing, I heard laughing."  
  
"Oh, the TV is on."  
  
"It is? It looks off..."  
  
"Is it... well, its not working, only the sound works."  
  
"Oh, let me see if I can fix it..."  
  
"Thats okay, Sei... I mean, Jon and me don't watch too much TV."  
  
"Oh... You must be focused on other things." Quistis nodded slightly.  
  
"Like kids." Zell finished.  
  
"N, no! I think we are gonna... stay kidless for a while, after all,I'm only twenty-two."  
  
"Yeah, man. Oh, hey, can I use your bathroom?"  
  
"What for?" Asked a very nervous Quistis.  
  
"...To, uh, relieve myself..."  
  
"Oh, right! Well, the toliet, it doesn't work."  
  
"Well, maybe I could fix it."  
  
"N, no! That's alright."  
  
"Okay, well, I havta go then. Come over and use mine whenever you need it... Oh, and not be rude, but since Jon ate the bad fish, tell him... to go somewhere else, I've got a really weak stomach." Zell said, heading for the door. Quistis scrunched up her nose.  
  
"Oh, okay, Zell. Thanks." Zell left, and Seifer heard the door shut.  
  
"Hyne damned chicken-wuss." Seifer stepped out of the bathroom. Quistis glanced at Seifer, and then at her watch. It was around 5pm.  
  
"That was a really long train ride... Wow." Quistis said, trying to avoid the subject of what had happened before Zell had come in.  
  
"Quistis...?" Seifer asked, approaching her. Honestly, Quistis was more scared then she had ever been before. Her heart was pounding, and she wondered if he could hear it. The only sound Quistis could hear was the sound of her heart pounding, and that was nearly deafening. She finally gathered the strength to blurt out a calm "Yes?"  
  
"Why are you helping me? Why did you waste your money on a train ticket for me, someone who betrayed you, and your closest friends, why did you accompany me, to be sure I wasn't caught...?" The next question would be the hardest to answer. "Why did you kiss me back?" Actually, Quistis found that the answer she would give, could answer them all... The hardest part was saying it... Quistis swallowed, hard, and stepped back, being sure that she meant what she wanted to say. Seifer stared at her, through those intense, green eyes, waiting for an answer.  
  
"Because... I love you, Seifer."  
  
End Chapter 2. 


	3. Feelings

Quistis could see the utter look of both shock and pleasure in Seifer's eyes. She had no clue what to say or do, so she stayed quiet and looked toward the floor. When she looked back up, his eyes were full of anger, which made her regret having said what she did. He glared at her, and walked out the door. Would he ever come back? No, why would he? He had left nothing behind him, except his disgarded trenchcoat and of course, his former instructor, who he probably hated. She wouldn't go after him, he wouldn't want her to. So, she just sat on the bed, and sighed, taking of her jacket and tossing it on the chair next to Seifer's trenchcoat. She stayed there, just thinking for nearly an hour.  
  
"Quistis, you're a fucking idiot... You've just ruined every dream you've had for so long... Everything..." She muttered to herself. She rarely used such large obsenities, but no one was around, who even cared anymore. She layed down on the bed, letting her hands graze the white rug beneath her. She continued ranting to herself. "Now, I don't even understand myself, and the things I do... Or think, or feel, or want, or need... How could I expect someone else to... Escpecially the likes of Seifer Almasy." Quistis wondered silently if he would come back, hoping he would, but knowing he wouldn't. "Why is everything so seriously...-"  
  
"Fucked up?" Seifer finished. He shut the door behind him, and walked over to Quistis, who sat up immediately.  
  
"Seifer...?"  
  
"Yeah?" Actually, Quistis didn't have a question, she just wanted to make sure it was him. So, she just stayed silent. "Quistis... I'm tired. I'm gonna sleep now."  
  
"Alright." Seifer plopped on the bed and rolled over to face Quistis, who layed back down, wishing she'd asked why he was angry, but she didn't. Too bad, really, she would've just loved his answer.  
  
"Good night."  
  
"G' night, Seifer..." Seifer tucked a lock of Quistis' hair behind her ear and smiled. She smiled also, and the both fell asleep.  
  
At around one AM, Seifer sat up, and stared over at Quistis, who was sleeping soundly, to his surprise. He watched her, and then he seen a tear roll down her cheek... Another dream? He wiped it off of her face with his thumb, and looked at his rough hands touching her perfect and soft skin. He shuddered and frowned, upset at himself for touching her. Suddenly, Quistis' eyes shot open, and stared at Seifer. She wiped another tear from her eye and stood up, not saying a word. She had all intentions of leaving tommarow, and probably never seeing Seifer again. It didn't matter... to him, anyway. She walked into the bathroom, where she grabbed a barette out of her pocket and put her hair up. She walked out the door, and left Seifer, just standing there.  
  
Quistis came back ten minutes later, with a small, hotel mug of coffee in her hand. She sipped it, and sat on a chair. She didn't look at Seifer, though he stared at her.   
  
"Quistis, I'm not angry with you..."  
  
"Oh?" She looked up. "Who are you angry with then?"  
  
"Myself..."  
  
"Yourself!? Why yourself?"  
  
"...Shit, Quistis, I don't feel like explaining it all now."  
  
"...You should, if you ever want to..." She muttered under her breath, glancing at the ticket in her hand. It read "Dollet. One-way. 6AM, Friday" AKA, tommarow.  
  
"What, Quistis?"  
  
"Nothing." She slipped the ticket into her pocket and sipped some more of her coffee. The paper that was slipped in her pocket caught Seifer's attention. He'd fish it out when she went back to sleep.  
  
"You're never gonna get any sleep if you finish that coffee."  
  
"I don't intend on sleeping... I have to get ready for tommarow."   
  
"What's happening tommarow?"  
  
"Nothing special. I'm gonna go take a shower... See you." She walked into the bathroom and took off her clothes, hanging them behind the door. She turned on the shower and stepped in. The hot water felt good as if pelted down on her cold body.  
  
Seifer silently stepped into the bathroom, and looked around for Quistis' skirt. He found it, hung neatly behind the door. He reached inside the right pocket. Nothing. He tried the left pocket. Sure enough, he pulled out a small slip of paper. It was a ticket. He read it. 'So she's leaving tommarow... Dammit!' He heard the shower stop. He froze. Then regained his senses and ran out of the bathroom. He sat on the bed. His eyelids felt heavy... He was so tired. He looked down and realized that the ticket was still in his hand. He quickly shoved it in his pocket when he seen the door to the bathroom open. She was rubbing her wet, golden hair with a towel. She walked into the kitchen and picked up her coffee. She sipped some and looked at Seifer. He looked tired. She set her coffee down.  
  
"You look tired, you should sleep."  
  
"Maybe cuz I am tired. But-" He grabbed her coffee and gulped down the rest of it. "I'll deal." Quistis looked down into the empty cup of coffee.  
  
"Seifer... My... coffee!" She sighed, but that sigh quickly turned into a yawn.  
  
"See, maybe YOU are the one who needs sleep."   
  
"Yeah, mmhmm."   
  
"Well, hey, you hardly get any sleep..."  
  
"How do you know?!"  
  
"Cuz... the bartender knows your name... So, chances are... every night, you have a dream.The same dream everynight. You hate the dream. So, you go over to the bar, and drink, then you go to work. Ya see, you don't want to go back sleep. You're afraid you'll have the dream again." 'How does he know all of this?' Quistis wondered.  
  
"And you know all of this how?!" Quistis asked, a suspicious look in her eye.  
  
"Well, first of all the bar tender knows you by name, every time you wake up, you are crying, and don't go back to sleep. Thats how."  
  
"Hey! Thats not true... I don't wake up cryng everytime... The dream changed ever since I remet you... Now I start waking up crying. Either way, its none of your business!"  
  
"Oh, yes it is."  
  
"Hm. Not after tommarow it won't be..." She reached into her pocket, searching for the ticket. Not there.  
  
"Looking for this?" Seifer asked, holding the ticket in the air.  
  
"Seifer! Give that to me!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Seifer! Now!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Seifer!"  
  
"I said NO!" Seifer glared at Quistis with those green eyes. She couldn't bare to see those green eyes glare at her anymore. She turned and grabbed her cup of coffee but found it was empty. She angrily threw it in the sink- but she missed. It fell to the ground with a shattering crash. She remained silent, and angry. Then she heard it. Through all the thick silence, a rip. And another. And another. She whirled around with fury and dissapointment just as he threw the ripped ticket pieces on the bed behind him.  
  
"Seifer Almasy...!"  
  
"Quistis Trepe." He said, smiling slyly.  
  
"That was my last 200gil, dammit!"  
  
"I thought you said you were out of gil, Quistis."  
  
"Well, I was, considering I still had to get home somehow."  
  
"Whatever. You took three days off of work. Why not stay another day?"  
  
"Seifer... I cannot stay here any longer. Please..." Actually, Quistis wasn't so sure of what she wanted from him. Just one thing. Just one. Was that too much...? Yes, obviously. Why!? Oh Hyne why!? "Why do you want me to stay...? What do you CARE?!"  
  
"Quistis, the reason I got so upset when when you told me how you felt... Was because, well... I didn't think I was worthy of your love. I mean, sure, maybe worthy isn't the proper word, but anyway. I betrayed you. And we grew up together, Hyne dammit. And then you love ME? How can someone love me?! WHY would someone LOVE me? I don't get it, Quistis, I just don't get how someone can love me, after alla that. On the train, when I watched you sleeping, I realized that I cared for you... But you deserve someone so much better than me... I mean, if I ever got caught, I'd have to leave you... I don't want you to be alone, Quistis... You should have some one else..."  
  
"No, Seifer. I love you, not any one else. Its you I want, need and love, Seifer... Oh Hyne... Seifer..." Seifer stood and walked over to Quistis. He hugged her. Oh, to have those arms around her. She wanted it to stay like this forever. But she knew she couldn't have that...  
  
"Quistis..." He held her and ran his hands through her wet hair. Quistis heard the door open.  
  
"Yo! Quistis. I heard yelling, is everything okay?!" Quistis pushed Seifer foward onto the bed, where he huddled under the blankets, and Quistis, slid the sleeve of her shirt down. She unbuttoned the top button, just as Zell walked into the room.  
  
"Zell, I'd appreciate it if you'd knock. I mean, Jon and I were..." Quistis pretended to be buttoning her shirt, and was making it as noticable as possible.  
  
"Ooh! I'm sorry, I was just worried. I heard Seifer's name, and got a little scared, ya know? Anyway..." Zell's eyes cast down to a familar looking trenchcoat on a chair. Then familar looking boots.  
  
"Yeah, Zell... Thats fine. Can you excuse us, please...?"  
  
"Sure, just a second." He said, walking over to the bed. Curiosity was an awful, awful thing.  
  
"W, what are you doing?!"  
  
"Just making sure everything's alright..." He lifted the blankets, and looked at the man under. Seifer scowled at Zell. "Oh my Hyne, its SEIFER! You're cheating on Jon with SEIFER!" Quistis was getting another headache. She'd make sure to see a doctor about these headaches.  
  
"Chicken-wuss!" Seifer said, getting out of bed. "Get the fuck out of here!"  
  
"N, no! Wait. Zell. Its not how it looks..." Quistis said, walking toward Zell, who was clad in some very colorful boxers with and oversized T-shirt.  
  
"Oh yeah, man.I gotcha!" A very scared-of-Seifer-Zell ran for the door, and a very frustrated Quistis ran after him. Seifer just plopped back on the bed, wondering how much more screwed up things could get.  
  
"Zell!"  
  
"What, man?!"  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
"Yeah, no kiddin!" Quistis followed Zell into his room.  
  
"Zell... Honestly, thats not how it looks. Seifer and I weren't having sex, really. He was sleeping, and I was getting changed..."  
  
"Isn't Seifer supposed to be in prison...?"  
  
"Yes, but he escaped... Look, Zell, you can't tell anyone this... We all grew up together. I know, I know, Seifer was mean to you, but for me?"  
  
"Scout's honor, Quisty!" Zell said, holding his right hand up. 'Thank Hyne.' Quistis thought.  
  
"Thanks Zell."  
  
"Yeah, so where is Jon?"  
  
"There IS NO Jon..."  
  
"Oh, so you and Seifer are... Married?!"  
  
"N, no! It was just a cover... but really Zell, if you told anyone, me and Seifer both will go to prison."  
  
"Alright, alright... I get it. I swear."   
  
"Okay..."  
  
"Can I go back to bed?" Zell asked.  
  
"Yeah, Zell, sure." Quistis walked out of the room, sighing a sigh of relief. She could trust Zell, right? She made her way back to the room that she and Seifer had rented, and Seifer looked up.  
  
"Erm, how'd it go?" He asked.  
  
"...Fine. He won't tell a soul."  
  
"Unless they offer him a hotdog..." Seifer said. Quistis smiled, happy that he remembered the days back at GARDEN after four years in prison. "Quistis... I think I made a mistake."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I brought you into this... I shouldn't have. I'm sorry... Truely am..."  
  
"Oh, please. Its fine... I think its better this way..."  
  
"How so?" Seifer asked crossing his arms.  
  
"I get to be with you."  
  
"Quistis, you do realize what happens... if we get caught."  
  
"Yes. I'm aware of that. But they probably won't know you're gone. There are so many prisoners there, Moombas watch them, not guards..."   
  
"Yeah, but still, Quistis. Its gonna get out. I know it. I can't live like this for four years..."  
  
"Seifer... I'll think of something, I promise."  
  
"Okay..." Seifer said, sighing. He glanced at Quistis, who was staring at the ground. She looked sad, worried... "What's wrong, Quistis?"  
  
"I don't know... I just... I just feel..." Quistis couldn't describe the feelings going on inside of her. She had never felt them before...  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Honestly," Quistis giggled nervously, "I can't find words... Heh."  
  
"Well then, we can just do this, instead of talking..." Seifer leaned over and kissed Quistis passionately. He played around with the top button of her shirt and she looked up at him, confused. He gave her a reassuring look and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. Soon enough, the two were both undressed completely. 'Oh... Seifer... I can't do this... But I want to... I really do.' Quistis thought to herself.   
  
"Quistis... You sure you want to?"   
  
"Yes..." And that was it. All he needed. He entered her, and Quistis felt a sharp pain, but was soon mixed with a pleasure that she had never felt before.   
  
"You okay?" He asked, concerned.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
~~~  
  
The two lay in bed. Soon enough, Quistis could hear Seifer's steady breathing, and she looked at him. His eyes were closed, and he looked peaceful again. She wondered if Seifer was available for bail after four years. It was an idea. Quistis sighed and stared over at Seifer. Her heart hurt just to see him. She fell asleep.   
  
Quistis Trepe looked at Seifer Almasy, eyes brimming with tears. Out of all of the staring SeeDs, Quistis was the only one truely upset. Her blue eyes were directed at him with love, and longing. He scowled back at the crowd and crossed his arms. His trenchcoat was gone, exposing his golden, muscular arms. Cid continued.  
  
"And, Mr. Almasy, you will be banned from GARDEN forever. Your two companions, Fujin Sanada and Raijin Hefton are allowed to stay. You will be sent to Galbadia prison for eight years." It was after the final battle, and Seifer was just getting his punishment for fighting on the wrong side...  
  
"No! Stop!" Quistis cried out.  
  
"Ms. Trepe?"  
  
"Please! Oh, please! Let him go..."  
  
~~~  
  
Quistis woke up to see Seifer staring at her. She buried her face in her pillow, trying to wipe away some of her tears. 'What if it wasn't after the final battle... what if it was when they caught him?' She thought. Quistis felt Seifer's hand on her bare shoulder. She looked up at him and he smiled. She loved his smile- when it wasn't cocky, sly, or arrogant.   
  
"Quistis, what are you dreaming about?"  
  
"... I don't know. Stuff." She answered, burying her face in his chest.  
  
"What kind of stuff?"  
  
"You..." She answered. He looked down at her, surprised, but was only able to see the top of the golden head of hair.  
  
"Oh yeah? What about me?"  
  
"Seifer... It was always that day... when you were sentenced to prison... you know, the last time I saw you. I looked at you so coldly... With hatred... But now, in the dream, I'm crying, and I tell them to stop... but they won't. Oh Seifer..." Seifer hugged her gently, then she looked up at him.  
  
"Oh yeah, Seifer, I got an idea last night, before I went to sleep..." Quistis announced.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Bail..."  
  
"I dunno if I was available for bail. Even if so, I think it'd be tons of gil."  
  
"I'd kill for you, Seifer, what makes you think I wouldn't be able to dig up some extra gil?"  
  
"But what if I'm not even available for bail?"  
  
"You've gotta be! Come on, you've been in there for four years..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"I dunno, around nine."  
  
"I can't believe I slept that late..."  
  
"Erm... sure." Quistis climbed over Seifer and pulled on her clothes. Seifer did also. She picked up the phone that rested beside the bed.  
  
"Hello, Galbadia prison, please? Alright." Quistis glanced at Seifer as the hotel connected her. She noticed that he had a nervous look on his face.  
  
"Yes? Hello."   
  
"How can I help you today?" Said a male voice on the other line.  
  
"I'd like to see if a prisoner is available for bail...?"  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Seifer Almasy." 'Oh Hyne, please..!'  
  
"Oh, the big shot sorceress' knight."  
  
"Erm, yeah."  
  
"Well not really, but since he's been in here for awhile... I think that we could work out something, but it's gonna be pricey."  
  
"Thats fine... How much, you think?"  
  
"Er... roughly 112,000,000 gil."  
  
"Okay, Thank you." Quistis hung up the phone and glanced over at Seifer.  
  
"Whats going on?"  
  
"Aspirin. Get me some fucking aspirin."  
  
End Chapter 3. 


	4. Mistakes

Seifer walked into the bathroom and looked through the medicine cabinet that was pre-fully equipped with medical stuff that no one would ever use. It was a hotel. Who needed this stuff in a hotel? He found the bottle of "Esthar Hotel Aspirin."  
  
"How much?" He called into the next room.  
  
"Four." 'Maybe I've been hanging out with Seifer too long...' Quistis thought as she remembered how much she had been cussing lately.  
  
"Four?!"  
  
"You heard me... four. I really don't like this headache... It feels funny. Must be a migraine... I guess."  
  
"Alright." He opened the bottle and took out four of the circular white pills. Seifer walked into the next room to see Quistis laying back down, rubbing her temples.  
  
"Here." He handed them to her, and she looked up at him as if he were insane.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Nothing..." Quistis stood up and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water, when she felt something enter her bare foot. "Ugh! Crap..." Quistis hobbled over to the chair and sat down, tossing the four aspirin haphazardly on the table.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I stepped on something..." She looked over at the floor, and realized she had never cleaned up the broken mug from the previous night. Seifer walked over and looked down Quistis' foot, and the red liquid slowly seeping out of a rather large cut, with a piece of the hotel mug in it.  
  
"I'm gonna have pull that out..." He said.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You heard what I said."  
  
"N, no!"  
  
"Oh please, stop acting like a child." Quistis sighed and cringed her nose, now having pain in her foot and head. She felt him holding up her foot and examining it.  
  
"Can't you just do it?"  
  
"Yeah, okay." Quistis felt him pull it out, and by Hyne, it hurt.  
  
"Ow! Dammit..." The blood from her foot was coming out more rapidly now, and it she could hear it dribbling on the floor.  
  
"I'm gonna go get some gauze, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, just hurry." Seifer jogged off into the bathroom, and found gauze and some cut healing stuff.  
  
"I got it." He said as he walked back into the kitchen. He cleaned off the cut with water, then put some of the ointment on it. It burned, but Quistis just stayed still. Seifer finally wrapped it, and most of the bleeding had stopped.   
  
"I don't think its two deep, so, just, uh, keep pressure offa it."  
  
"Mmhmm. Hey... Seifer?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can you get me a glass of water?"  
  
"Sure." Seifer was careful not to step on any of the shattered pieces of Quistis' mug, and he returned with water. Quistis was only able to find three of the pills she had thrown on the table, but that was fine. She didn't want to bother Seifer anymore.   
  
Once Quistis had finished the aspirin, and Seifer had finished cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, they both sat on the foot of the bed, and Seifer patiently (Does tapping your foot and crossing your arms count as patient? Didn't think so...) waited for Quistis to tell him the amount of bail money needed.  
  
"Quistis... How much money is needed...?"  
  
"Don't worry, not alot, I can handle it..." 'If I give up my apartment and work 24/7, sure I can handle it.' Quistis thought sarcastically.  
  
"How much?!"  
  
"112,000,000 gil."  
  
"Holy shit... Thats not alot!?" Seifer said, staring at Quistis in shock. She didn't say anything. "Well, I'm flattered, to be worth so much money, but... Lets just forget about it." He continued.  
  
"Seifer, stop it. I'll get it lowered..."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I don't know, I'll think of something..." She said, rubbing her head, and laying back on the bed.  
  
"Quistis..."  
  
"Mmhmm?"  
  
"...Sorry."  
  
"Whatever you're sorry for, its fine, Seifer..."  
  
"No, really, for alla this shit..."  
  
"I know. I know. Its fine, really." Seifer layed back next to her and cleared his throat. And then it hit her. She had an idea.  
  
"Seifer... I've got it... I'm gonna need to make a phone call though."  
  
"Wait, what are you doing...?" Quistis climbed over Seifer and sat on the other side of him, picking up the phone.  
  
"Hello? Galbadia Prison please."  
  
"How can I help you?" Said the same male voice.  
  
"Hey.. I called earlier about... Almasy."  
  
"Oh yeah, hi, miss."  
  
"Now, I was just going through his records... and it seems he has had a highly dangerous mental state. Its gone now, I just visited him the other day."  
  
"Are you a physchratrist?"  
  
"Yes. And, I need you to lower his bail. You see, I want to do a study on patients that survived."  
  
"You mean, some don't survive?"  
  
"Yes, they commit suicide, or are put to death, but anyway, he isn't dangerous anymore..."  
  
"Alright mam, heh heh, how about 12,000 gil...? Thats as low as they'll allow me here..."  
  
"Thats perfect. Thank you so much."  
  
"Bye." Quistis hung up the phone and sighed.  
  
"Quistis?" Seifer asked. "What'd they say?!"  
  
"12,000 gil... I can afford that. I can."  
  
"You can?"  
  
"Yes..." 'I'll have to take all of my money out of my bank account for you...' She thought to herself.  
  
"...Quistis..."  
  
"I can handle it Seifer. I need to do some things first... So, just stay here."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You'll be here when I come back?"  
  
"Promise." Quistis flashed a quick smile and pulled on her boots. Then her jacket. Then she left.   
  
Quistis walked down the cold streets of Esthar as it began to snow. She glanced around for a bank, and sighed when she couldn't fnd one. She asked a man, and he said to go left, down this street, so she did, and she found this large building with "Esthar National Bank" Inscribed on it. She walked in.  
  
"How can I help you?" Asked a female teller.  
  
"I'd like to... make a rather large withdrawl from my account."  
  
"Yes? Your name please?"  
  
"Quistis Trepe."  
  
"Okay, how much...?"  
  
"12, 000 gil."  
  
"Why, thats nearly everything!" She said, surprised. Quistis crossed her arms.  
  
"I'm aware of that."  
  
"Okay, I need your social security number..."  
  
~~~  
  
Quistis arrived back at the hotel at around one PM, and she found it silent.  
  
"Seifer?" No answer.  
  
"SEIFER?!" No answer. She tore through the room trying to find him. Nothing. 'You promised, Seifer...' His trenchcoat was gone, as were his boots... 'Dammit...' She layed back on the bed, and layed there for about an hour, when Seifer trudged into the room.  
  
"Seifer!" She sat up and looked at Seifer. "Where the hell were you?"  
  
"Out."  
  
"Out where?"  
  
"Ah... Just out."  
  
"Seifer...!"  
  
"I was, uh... walking..."  
  
"Walking WHERE?" Quistis demanded.  
  
"I was, erm, looking for you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You were gone for more than two hours, I was worried..." He muttered. 'Seifer, worried?' Quistis thought.  
  
"Oh..." She replied. She opened a draw and tossed the gil in.  
  
"You really had all that gil...?"  
  
"Well... yeah..." Quistis said, shrugging.  
  
"Your headache gone...?"  
  
"No. ...Seifer, how did you escape?"  
  
"Moombas. Stupid creatures. I told them my bathroom wasn't working, and walked right out the door."  
  
"Heh..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We need to get you back in there."  
  
"I know. I've got an idea..."  
  
"What is it?" Quistis asked. Seifer yawned.  
  
"I'll explain later. We need money for a train ride."  
  
"I don't have it. Sorry."  
  
"I'm not saying we'd take it from you, but there's a certain chicken-wuss..."  
  
"We're gonna take money from Zell?"  
  
"We'll pay him back."  
  
"...Whatever. You do it."  
  
"I will." Seifer said, walking out the door. Quistis sighed, and layed back down on the bed. She pulled off her boots and sighed, seeing her left foot all wrapped up. She walked into the kitchen and yawned, still tired. She wondered where her and Sefer were going with all of this. What if Seifer was just using her... to help him escape? To pay his bail? 'Why did I even have sex with this man... Oh...' Her headache worsened and she felt dizzy. She'd had headaches before, but nothing like this. She clutched the table for support as she sat down on one of the small, metal chairs. She couldn't focus and her head was spinning. Her head was throbbing from all of the pain.   
  
"Ahh..." She brought her hand to her head and tried standing up. 'If I can just go lie down...' She started walking over toward the bed, but fell toward the ground.  
  
Seifer had pretty much begged Zell for the 400gil, and he obliged, afraid of getting hurt. Seifer promised to return it. He walked back into his hotel room and glanced around at the silence. 'Where is she?' He thought to himself. He walked into the kitchen and seen Quistis passed out on the floor.  
  
"Quistis!?" He picked her up and put her on the bed. Her blonde hair spread out behind her, and her eyes remained closed. "What the hell happened? Quistis?" He shook her gently, and her eyes slowly opened.  
  
"Seifer...?"  
  
"Hey, what happened?" Seifer asked, running his fingers through her hair.  
  
"I don't know... I just... passed out..." Remembering her thoughts before she passed out, she took his hand and placed it away from her.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked.  
  
"N, nothing. ...I'm gonna go get some aspirin." She swung her legs over the side of the the bed and limped into the bathroom. Her foot really hurt. 'I'll pay his bail, and leave him alone... yeah. Quistis, don't get involved with this man. Oh, Hyne, Quistis don't.' She thought to herself as she downed her third aspirin.  
  
"Hey, Quistis, what is wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." She muttered, rubbing her head.  
  
"...Sure." Seifer said, rolling his eyes. Quistis ran her hand down her face in a frustrated manner.  
  
"So, um, what was your plan?" Quistis got dizzy again, so she sat down on the bed, next to Seifer.  
  
"I'm gonna go in disguised as a Galbadian solider. It's simple. I can handle it."  
  
"Okay. Be careful though, I know from experience, those outfits are smelly and itchy." Quistis smiled and Seifer chuckled.   
  
"Alright, Seifer, I need to take two more days off of work. I have to use the phone..."  
  
"Mmhm." Seifer moved over, and Quistis grabbed the phone, and dialed her work number.  
  
"Hello?" Said Sandre, the receptionist at Quistis' section of the building.  
  
"Hi, this is Quistis Trepe."  
  
"Oh, thank goodness. Please say you're coming back the day after tommarow?"  
  
"Well, actually, I wanted to take the rest of the week off... Is that alright?"  
  
"Um, sure, but you won't get paid..."  
  
"That's fine, even if I don't get paid."  
  
"Great. See you next Monday."  
  
"Bye." Quistis hung up the phone and glanced over at Seifer. He was staring at her again.  
  
"Hey, uh, ...Thanks, I guess." He said, looking away.  
  
"Yeah, its no problem at all." Quistis said in a tone of sarcasm that would only be picked up by someone who used sarcasm all the time... Too bad she was talking to Seifer Almasy.  
  
"Oh, nice use of sarcasm, you're making me feel better."  
  
"I'm not supposed to be making you feel better, I'm supposed to be helping you out of prison."  
  
"...Right." Seifer said, feeling a little bit more guilty than he had before.  
  
"I'm gonna go get some coffee, I'll be back." Quistis limped over to the door. Everything looked sort of blurry, and her head pounded. This was a really bad headache... Was it even a headache? She clutched the door knob for a minute, trying to regain concentration. This only caught Seifer's attention.  
  
"Hey, are you alright?" Seifer asked, as he stood up and walked over to Quistis.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"You sure don't look it..."  
  
"Thanks, Seifer." She muttered, turning the door knob.   
  
"No, that's not what I meant at all!" Quistis didn't say anything. "I'll get your coffee."  
  
"You don't have to, I can handle it."  
  
"Just come on, how do you like it?"  
  
"Black."  
  
"Okay, why don't you go, uh, sit down?"  
  
"Uh huh." Seifer walked down the stairs, unable to figure out what was wrong wtih Quistis, she was upset at him, for some reason, and she was sick, or something too. He grabbed the coffee from the hotel's dining area, when he realized he hadn't eaten in quite awhile, so he grabbed some kind of bread, hardly knowing anything about it, other than the fact that it was free, and walked back upstairs.  
  
"Hey, I got your coffee." He said, walking over to her and handing her the paper cup.   
  
"Thanks..." She muttered, taking it.  
  
"Want some bread? ...Well, I think its bread. I dunno, it was free, so I grabbed some."  
  
"No, thats alright, thanks."  
  
"Okay." Seifer took a hunk of the bread and shoved it into his mouth. Quistis sipped her coffee, rubbing her temples at the same time.  
  
"Quistis, are you sure that you're alright? I mean, we could take you into the Esthar Hospital..."  
  
"No, Seifer, I'm fine." Quistis said, staring at the blackish brown liquid in the small white cup in front of her. A lock of hair fell out of the neat bun she had put it in when Seifer had left, and she sighed. Seifer pushed the lock of hair out of her face, and she smiled weakly. Everything stayed silent for awhile, and Quistis laid back on the bed, her headache lightening up.  
  
"Seifer, I'm gonna go out and buy the-" she yawned "-tickets."   
  
"Alright." He handed her the four hundred gil, and she walked toward the door. 'Wait a minute, she can't go out... Stupid.'  
  
"Wait!" Seifer called.  
  
"What?" She turned.  
  
"Lets buy 'em tommarow, right before we board..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cuz, I have to talk to you..." 'Why am I lying?' He asked himself. Well, the fact of the matter was that he was worried about Quistis' health. She got all too many headaches. Hyne, if he wasn't an escaped convict, he'd take her into the hospital by force, but unfortunetely, Seifer was an escaped convict- for now, anyway.   
  
"..Sure." Quistis obliged. She didn't want to go out anyway. She sat on the bed next to him, and she looked at him. He paused, trying to think of something to ask her.  
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"Oh, uh, ...You seem upset at me. Can you tell me why?"  
  
"I'm not upset at you."  
  
"Yes, you are."  
  
"Seifer, I don't want to argue with you. I'm not upset with you!"  
  
"...Sure, Quistis. Why don't just tell me, so we can live in semi-peace?"  
  
"There's nothing to tell."  
  
"Yes, there is! Tell, me...!"  
  
"Its NOTHING!" Quistis could feel her headache worsening.  
  
"Come on, Quistis. You can tell me."  
  
"I can? Why?"  
  
"Cuz, you can!" He smiled. 'Why did Seifer have to smile? To make me vunerable and weak...? To make me spill... All part of his evil-' Her thoughts were interupted by her own mouth.  
  
"I was just thinking." 'Why did I say that?! Oh, Hyne, I didn't mean to say that. Stick to your story. Don't cause trouble. You aren't upset at him.'  
  
"About what?"  
  
"...Us." 'Why!? Why are these words coming out of my mouth?!'  
  
"What about us?" Seifer was getting curious now.  
  
"...Nothing really." 'Quistis had finally gained control of her words.  
  
"Oh, come on..."  
  
"I was afraid... that you were using me..." Quistis was afraid of his reply, and felt guilt for even thinking those thoughts, nevermind saying them. She took a large gulp of he coffee, and prepared for the worst.  
  
"Quistis... You're saying you don't trust me...? I mean, you have reason not to, so just answer me truthfully..."  
  
"No! I mean, well, yes, but not in that sense. I mean, its just doubts, you know? You're Seifer, and all of the sudden you trust me, and the oddest part is that I trust you too..." 'Trust... is that all we share?' Quistis thought to herself. 'He said he cared for me... but that's all... not love, care...'  
  
"That's why you're so upset... Oh, Quistis... I'm not using you. If I were using you, you'd know. I worry about you. Why would I worry about anyone I was using...? And, I told you, you DON'T havta do this. Oh... Hyne, please don't think you do."  
  
"...Seifer..." She reached over and hugged him, and he placed his arms around her also. "I do this because you need it. I'll do anything you need."  
  
"Quistis..." 'How can someone love me as much as you do?' Seifer wondered to himself. They stayed like that until Seifer heard a small groan escape Quistis. He look down at her, and she hugged Seifer tighter.  
  
"I feel sorta dizzy, Seifer. I'm gonna lie down, alright?"  
  
"Sure..." Seifer replied, more than a hint of concern in his voice. So, Quistis layed back down, and rested her arm over her forehead.  
  
"Seifer..."  
  
"Quistis, I'm taking you into the hospital."  
  
"No! I'm FINE!"  
  
"Don't get upset. Please? Just come with me?"  
  
"No, Seifer, I'm okay."  
  
"Quistis, come on. Don't make me pick you up and carry you!"  
  
"Seifer..." Quistis groaned. "Stop it." Seifer walked over and grabbed her, lifting her in the air. She was light enough. "SEIFER! Put me down! I'll go, I'll go." Seifer smiled and set her on the ground carefully. They walked out the door.  
  
When they arrived at the hospital, things were quiet, and there weren't too many people there. Seifer signed Quistis in. She was taken in by the doctors immediately. Seifer picked up a magazine, "Fishing In Balamb," and flipped through it.  
  
At around midnight, a doctor walked out to Seifer.   
  
"Are you the one who brought Ms. Trepe in?"  
  
"Uh, yeah." He said, tossing the magazine to the side.  
  
"Well, we know what's wrong with her..."  
  
"Oh, good... Nothing too serious, right?!"  
  
"Well, actually..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"She's pregnant."  
  
End Chapter 4. 


	5. Love

"SAY WHAT?!" Seifer jumped out of his seat and glared at the doctor as if it were the doctor's fault.  
  
"Yes, she is pregnant. Now, it is very, very early in the pregnancy, so... abortion is still an option, but you can tell her that. She seems upset."  
  
"Yeah, whatever." 'She's upset? Shit... Well, of course she's upset, she's fucking pregnant!' "How long has she been pregnant?" Seifer asked, hoping it wasn't him.  
  
"Just a couple of days." He said. 'Shit...' "I'll send her out." The doctor left and Seifer ran his hand down his face. Three minutes later, he looked up to see Quistis glare at him and walk out the door. He got up and followed her. Quistis stared up at the sky as she walked. 'I don't want to have his child. I don't want... Oh Hyne... He won't commit to me, dammit... He's Seifer, he probably will never see me again after I bail him out... I don't want..."  
  
"Quistis!" Seifer jogged up to her, and she could hear snow crunching below both of their feet now. She ignored him, and kept walking. She felt him place his hand on her shoulder and turn her around. "Stop avoiding me!"  
  
"What, Seifer? What? What? What the fuck do you want NOW? I really don't want to talk to you. So just leave me alone." Quistis entered the hotel, and Seifer stayed outside, slumping on a bench. '...Why...? Why do I screw everything up?' He asked himself, not able to find an answer.  
  
About a half hour later, the door next to him opened, and Quistis stepped out.  
  
"Seifer, why don't you come inside. Its cold."  
  
"Yeah. I know its cold, Quistis." He looked up at her and shook his head. She looked upset, but less than she had before. Seifer stood up and walked inside with Quistis. They walked up the stairs to their room where Quistis just plopped on the bed, not saying anything.  
  
"Quistis, I think we need to talk."  
  
"I don't want to talk."  
  
"But we have to talk."  
  
"I don't care!" She rolled over, facing away from Seifer.  
  
"Quistis, come on..."  
  
"Seifer, I don't want..."  
  
"Abortion... that's an option..."  
  
"No! ...I just..." She took a deep breath and turned to face Seifer. "Don't... Oh Hyne, forget it."  
  
"Quis-tis!"  
  
"Seifer, I need sleep. We have to wake up at five, so we can go to GALBADIA and bail YOU out of jail."  
  
"Forget it. Okay? I'll just go back. You don't need to waste your money on me, we, erm, you need it for the child."  
  
"Seifer, we need to get you out of jail. Because, at this point, your more important than this child." Quistis rolled back over, upset again. Seifer stayed silent after she said that, and just sat in the kitchen.  
  
"Seifer, get your ass in bed." Quistis said, getting more upset by the second.  
  
"Er... ok." He walked over and plopped on the bed. 'What a fool, I am... Love? Do I love her? Yes... without a doubt. But I can't tell her that... I just can't.'  
  
The next morning when Seifer woke up, Quistis was already awake. She was sipping a cup of coffee, she didn't look so great either. Hoping it was just a dream, he walked over to her and asked her how she was feeling.   
  
"Not too great..." She muttered. 'No dream... dammit!' He thought. "We need to leave now, Seifer. Come on."  
  
"You sure you're up to it?"  
  
"Yes. Go on, get the money... and your coat."  
  
~~~  
  
At six am, the two were on board a train bound for Deling, where they would rent a car, and drive to the prison. The train was empty, as the early morning ones always were.  
  
"Seifer, I'm tired, I'm gonna sleep. Wake me when we get there." She yawned and rested her head on Seifer's shoulder.  
  
"Alright."  
  
Quistis was awakened by Seifer, who shook her gently.  
  
"Quistis? Hey, Quistis! We gotta go now." She opened her eyes, and looked up at him.   
  
"No, Seifer, I wanna go back to sleep..."  
  
"Quistis! We HAVE to get off the train now."  
  
"Nah uhn..."  
  
"Quisty, come on!"  
  
"...Fine... Fine..." She muttered. Quistis trudged off the train and in the direction of the car rental. It was around five PM. Quistis fell asleep in the car, and Seifer was greatful that she was not driving... 'Where do we go after this...? Oh Hyne... I don't know what to do...'  
  
At two-thirty, they arrived one mile away from the prison. He wondered if she could still do this.  
  
"Quistis? Are you alright?" He shook her.  
  
"Oh... Seifer, I'm sorry. You should, um, go now. I'll head in in an hour, ok?"  
  
"Yeah, sure..."  
  
"Good luck."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Bye." He left, and ran towards the prison. He snuck in the back, and killed off a Glabadian guard. He stripped the Galbadian soldier of his unform, and placed it on his body. Quistis was right, it was itchy, and... hot, and sweaty... He'd deal. He walked into the building, but was stopped by an officer.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"To check on Seifer Almasy, I hear someone is looking to bail him out. I gotta make sure he is fit to be seen. You know, don't want the public to know how we REALLY treat our prisoners." The officer laughed, but Seifer was serious. He kept going, and finally came to his old cell. Nothing had changed. Good...   
  
An hour later, Quistis walked to the front gates.  
  
"How can I help you?"  
  
"Yes, hi. I called earlier... Wanted to bail out Almasy."  
  
"Oh yeah, come talk to Bill, he's the one who spoke to ya."  
  
"Alright, thank you." She was led into the building, which hadn't changed much since the SeeD incident.   
  
"Hi, mam!"  
  
"Hello, sir... I'm in a rush really, I have to get to work. So, um, I have the gil..."  
  
"Oh, okay, sure, no problem!" It was obvious to Quistis that the man was flirting with her, trying to play it nice, or something. Hah. The man called for someone to bring prisoner 077 to the front, and Quistis handed him the gil.  
  
"Wow, you must really need to study this man..."  
  
"Yeah, he is crucial to my research." Seifer stepped out of the shadows, along with an officer, and Quistis nodded.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Almasy. How are you feeling today?"  
  
"Just fine." He replied.  
  
"Good, you two are allowed out now."  
  
"Thank you, sir." Quistis said, smiling.  
  
The two walked out of the prison, and back to their car, pleased that everything had gone so smoothly. The car ride was silent, and Quistis was sleeping again. Seifer parked the car outside of Deling, and watched Quistis sleep.   
  
"Seifer... Where are we?"  
  
"We're very close to Deling."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"So, did you want me to drive you... um, back to Dollet?"  
  
"Sure... that'd be nice..." Quistis muttered. 'So, thats it... I knew it. He's leaving." They drove in silence, and they got to Dollet. Seifer drove Quistis to her apartment building, and he stopped the car, waiting for her to get out.  
  
"Bye... Seifer." Quistis swallowed. She felt tingling in her eyes, and tears forming. She shut the door of the car. It started to rain. Rain in the winter. Then the tears came, as she watched him speed off into the the distance.  
  
~~~  
  
"Quistis. Quistis, you should wake up now! Its eight o'clock...PM."  
  
"Seifer?! ..." 'Oh... just a dream...'  
  
"You okay?"   
  
"Yeah, I'm fine..."  
  
"Quistis... I know, this is probably late, but, I realized I had better say it."  
  
"Hmm? What is it, Seifer?"  
  
"I have something to tell you..."  
  
"What..?" 'Oh no, he's hiding something...' She thought to herself. Seifer paused. 'Go on, say it, before its too late...' Seifer thought.  
  
"I love you, Quistis..." He said, looking up at her, awaiting her reaction.  
  
"Seifer... is this is a... sudden emotion, or...?"  
  
"I've loved you since... well, before you said you loved me. But, I was afraid to say anything. I thought as long as I knew, we'd be all set, but we weren't..."  
  
"To be completly honest with you, I'm... shocked." Quistis said, staring at Seifer without blinking once.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I just thought that you just cared for me... Even the sex, I thought it was just... sex to you, nothing else."  
  
"Oh, it was more, much more... turned out to be too." He said, sounding sure of himself.  
  
"Yeah, unfortunetly."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm not sure... I guess I wasn't ready for this... you know, having a child..."  
  
"I know, but, Quistis. Listen, this child will be special, cuz its gonna be yours, and mine... its our love." Quistis had never heard Seifer sound so affectionate before. She liked it.  
  
"Seifer..." Quistis said, smiling. Seifer leaned over and kissed Quistis.  
  
"Quistis, let's take you home."  
  
"Alright..." They drove in silence, and they arrived at Dollet. Seifer stopped the car in front of her apartment.   
  
"Hey, uh, do you mind if I spend the night...?"  
  
"No, not at all."  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
"Yeah, sure." The two entered the apartment building, and slowly made their way up the stairs. Quistis walked into her kitchen, and made herself coffee, then downed three aspirins.  
  
"Seifer, I'm gonna take a shower..."  
  
"Alright." Quistis headed for the shower, and when she got back out, she was stopped by Seifer.  
  
"Hey, Quistis...?"  
  
"Mmhm?"  
  
"I have to talk to you..."  
  
"Sure... um, what is it?" She joined him, sitting on the sofa. He was watching the news, nothing special.  
  
"This child..." He got her full attention.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You know how its mine..."  
  
"Erm, yes..." She replied, getting curious. 'Aw, damn, can I really say this?' Seifer asked himself. 'No.'  
  
"...Dammit, nevermind..."  
  
"Seifer..."  
  
"Anyway, I'm sorry, Quistis."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Doing this to you..."  
  
"Oh, Seifer! Stop it, this isn't your fault."  
  
"I never should have..."  
  
"Stop this! I don't regret any of it, okay?!"  
  
"Sure, Quistis." Seifer shook his head and stared at the ground. After a long pause, Quistis finally broke the silence.  
  
"Um, Seifer?"  
  
"What is it...?" Seifer asked. Quistis took a long pause.  
  
"...Oh, Hyne, forget it."  
  
"...Quistis, I think we both... uh, have got the same thing on our minds..." 'Oh? Could that really be possible?" Quistis thought.  
  
"Oh? ..."  
  
"... I don't quite have an answer for it either." 'Damn, are we even thinking the same thing?'  
  
"... Do you even know what I'm thinking?" She asked. 'Probably not...' She thought.  
  
"Your worried that the baby won't have a father. Heh." 'How does he know these things?!'   
  
"...Oh." Quistis nodded. They stayed silent, and Quistis stared at the TV. The newscaster was saying something about "Juan Heraldo and jail." The name rang a bell in Quistis' head, but she could not put her finger on it.  
  
"Hey, Quistis, wasn't that Juan guy a SeeD?" Seifer asked. Suddenly, it all came together. He had been a member of the Trepies... Sent to jail?  
  
"Yeah, he was a Trepie."  
  
"Oh..." Seifer turned up the volume.   
  
"I wonder why he was sent to jail..." Quistis thought aloud.  
  
"Shh... Maybe they'll mention it..."  
  
"Heraldo was sent to jail for a serious obessession with a women named Quistis Trepe. It seemed rather life threatening for Trepe. It came to a surprise when he escaped from jail, he seemed rather timid, but he is armed and dangerous, so keep an eye out for him, and inform authorities immediately..." The newscaster read.  
  
"Oh... wow... Seifer, I never knew that he was sent to jail...!"  
  
"...I don't like this. Not one bit."  
  
End Chapter 5. 


	6. Death

"Oh, please, Seifer. Everything will be fine. He probably... doesn't even care about me anymore!"  
  
"Yeah, right. It was because of you he was put in jail, he's gonna want revenge..."  
  
"I didn't report him! Someone else did!" Quistis protested... 'Oh no... What if I am in danger? My child...'  
  
"Yeah, well, you never know."  
  
"Seifer, you're being silly. Stop it..."  
  
"I'm... serious, Quistis..."  
  
"Don't worry, Seifer."  
  
"...Yeah... Anyway, you should get some rest."  
  
"Yeah, I am sorta tired."  
  
"Okay then. I'll be in later."  
  
"Alright..." Quistis yawned and went into the bedroom. As she peered into her closet to get a sweatshirt, for it was cold, she eyed all the shirts that wouldn't fit her anymore... She sighed, and hopped into bed.   
  
Seifer yawned. His eyelids felt heavy, but he'd stay awake. It was around two AM, and the reason he was still awake was that he had to think. 'Father... I'm gonna be a father... damn. I wouldn't make a good father... Or husband, for that matter... I'm screwed.'  
  
"Seifer?" Quistis stepped out of the bedroom and into the living room.  
  
"Hey, Quisty. What are you doing awake...?"  
  
"I always wake up around this time of night... Heh... Seifer, you really need your sleep... I mean, you have hardly gotten any sleep..."  
  
"Thats fine..."  
  
"No, its not. Come on, please?" Quistis frowned at Seifer.  
  
"Alright, Alright!" Seifer stood up and walked toward Quistis. Seifer pulled off his shirt and got into bed.  
  
"Seifer, do me a favor?"  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Take a shower in the morning." Quistis said, patting him on the back. He laughed.  
  
"Alright." Seifer smiled and put his arm around Quistis. She was happy, for it felt good for him to hold her... 'Oh, Seifer... I love you...' She thought. Then she fell asleep.  
  
The next morning, when Seifer woke up, Quistis was already awake.  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"Sleeping so late."  
  
"Its no problem..."  
  
"You look sorta pale, you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, Seifer, I'm fine."  
  
"Okay... I'm gonna go take a shower... So, uh... later."  
  
"Yeah, alright, Seifer." She watched Seifer disapear into the bathroom and sighed. 'We both know he won't make a good father.. but maybe if I were to help him... Oh Hyne...'  
  
"QUISTIS! WHERE'S THE DAMNED SOAP...?!" 'So impatient... Seifer..."  
  
"I'll get it..." Quistis walked into the steamy bathroom and opened the cabinet. She found a bar of white soap. "Here..." She held it out.   
  
"Thanks. Can you put my clothes in the washing machine?"  
  
"Sure..." She sighed, and stepped out of the bathroom, grabbing his clothes. 'Seifer... Oh, Hyne, I wish you could understand... I really do...' After she put the clothes in, she sat in the kitchen, sipping her coffee, and thinking about Seifer, mainly. 'Could I ever get you to understand...? Oh, Seifer...'  
  
"Quistis?" Seifer stepped out of the bathroom, towel around his waist.  
  
"In the kitchen..."  
  
"Oh." He walked in and looked at Quistis. "You look upset... Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"I'm fine." Seifer sat next to Quistis.  
  
"You know, you can tell me... You don't always have to be 'fine.'" He said, taking her hand into his. Quistis glanced up at him and smiled.  
  
"I'm just afraid..."  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"What's going to happen next. I mean, I'd want to stay here with you, just sitting next to you, with my hand in yours forever. But I know I can't, and I'm afraid of what happens when I let go..."  
  
"Quistis..." He hugged her gently. "You don't have to be afraid, because nothing has to change. We can stay here forever... until we grow old." He ran his fingers through her hair... wondering what she would say, how she would reply.  
  
"I want to... I want to stay with you forever, Seifer..." He kissed her, and she smiled. 'Quistis... you're my everything... Hyne, I didn't think I was able to become so attached... to someone.' 'Seifer, oh... My life has begun to revolve around you. You're my only concern... You... My thoughts no longer consist of my future, and what I'll be, but of what we'll be... Seifer...'  
  
"Oh, Quistis, I love you..."  
  
"Love you too, Seifer." Quistis stared at him. Peaceful. He looked peaceful. Like how he looked when he was sleeping. Those green eyes, they were no longer intimidating, but tranquil... She ran her hand down his face, wiping away stray drops of water from his shower. His eyes, she loved those eyes. A buzzer went off somewhere in the house.  
  
"You're clothes are done."  
  
"Heheh, oh..." Seifer smiled, and stood up. "Where are they?"  
  
"To your left, next to the bathroom..."  
  
"Thanks." He disapeared into the small laundry room. Everytime Seifer was away from Quistis, she got so afraid he wouldn't come back, even if he was just going into the next room. Honestly, Quistis was afraid of fate, and what it could do to destroy people's lives. She shuddered, and drank down the rest of her coffee. She glanced outside through the doors that lead to a small balcony.  
  
"Seifer... its raining?" Seifer walked into the room, fully dressed.  
  
"That's weird... Its January."  
  
"Mmhm..." Quistis shrugged. Seifer walked into the living room and flicked on the TV. He walked back over to Quistis, and hugged her.  
  
"Hey, what do you think we should do today?" He asked.  
  
"I dunno, not much *to* do..." She yawned. "Whats the weather going to do?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I'll go check." Seifer walked into the living room, and Quistis walked over to the cabinet, going to make herself more coffee.  
  
"Dammit..." She muttered, realizing she had no more coffee.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"No more coffee... Anyway, what's the weather gonna do?"  
  
"Thunderstorms. Do you believe that? Thunderstorms..."  
  
"Well, Dollet is known for its odd weather."  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
At around 8pm, Quistis went in the kitchen for some aspirin, for her returning headache, and coffee. She didn't have either.  
  
"Seifer, I'm gonna go down the street and get some aspirin and coffee. I'll be back."  
  
"You aren't going anywhere in this weather." Seifer said motioning to the window, where rain was pelting down.  
  
"Oh please, there is a store right down on the corner."  
  
"I'll go."  
  
"You don't have to."  
  
"I know." Seifer pulled on his trenchcoat. "I'll be back."  
  
"Bye, Seifer..." Seifer walked out the door, and Quistis sat, staring out the two glass doors that led outside into the rain. She never used the balcony out there for anything. She sighed. Lightening flashed, and then a loud clap of thunder...  
  
"Hyne, this is weird weather." She muttered to herself. She stood up and walked towards the door. More lightening... She seen a figure of a person out of the corner of her eye. It was only there for second... Was it even there...? She searched around for her, whip, but was unable to find it. So, she just grabbed a knife and walked over towards the doors. A sudden gust of wind blew them open, and more lightening revealed the familar face of a Trepie. Juan.  
  
"Juan!?" He walked in silently.  
  
"Quistis... long time no see... I don't get you. I did everything for you... And I'm sent to jail for it...?"  
  
"Get the fuck out of my apartment, Juan." Quistis said in warning tone, holding the knife behind her back.  
  
"Give me the knife Quistis... Your slim figure reveals it... Oh, you have gained weight... Just a little, you are as beautiful as ever... Marry me, Quistis..."  
  
"Are you INSANE?! Get out of here!" Juan stepped close to Quistis, and with one sweep of motion, had grabbed the knife, and had his lips pressed to hers. She kicked him foward on to the floor.  
  
"Oh, Quistis, ...That was wrong, you'll regret it."  
  
"What?!" 'Oh no... Oh Hyne, Seifer.. Seifer...'  
  
"Yes, when I pull this trigger," He held up a gun. "You'll be mine, dead or alive... We'll be someplace together..."  
  
"Juan, you're crazy... Stop this..."  
  
"No..." He held up the gun, and aimed.  
  
"Stop it, Juan! Oh Hyne, please...!" Quistis heard a large bang... 'Thunder?' She felt a pain in her left shoulder, and fell towards the ground... 'No... No... Seifer... our baby... I can't die.. no.' She heard a another bang shortly after. Juan... had shot himself...? She tasted a familar taste in her mouth. She remembered it vaguely... a thick liquid. Lightening illuminated the room, just for long enough for Quistis to see that it was blood... 'Seifer...' Everything faded slowly... so slowly. The roomed was filled with a deadly silence, and then a large clap of thunder.  
  
Seifer noticed all of the lights had gone out in the city, and when he heard the silence of the apartment, he dropped the things he had purchased, and walked in. Lightening. He seen Quistis, laying on the floor in an akward position. Blood. On her shoulder, on her face.  
  
"QUISTIS!" He rushed toward her, ignoring the other body, and kneeled beside her. "Quistis... Oh Hyne, Quistis say something!"  
  
Seifer waited in the hosptial waiting room, his head throbbing. He had taken four aspirins. 'Quistis is right. Fucking aspirin doesn't work.' The hospital was near to empty, and Seifer finally got the strength to walk up to the front desk.  
  
"Do you know her condition?!"  
  
"No, sir, but I'll go ask the docta."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hurry..." Three minutes later, the nurse walked back in.  
  
"Well, good news and bad news..."  
  
"Yeah, what the fuck is it already!? Damn, so fucking slow..."  
  
"Um, sir... Control your anger. She's gonna be okay, but, we aren't sure about the baby... You did know she was pregnant..."  
  
"Yeah, what about the baby...?"  
  
"Well, the docta's gonna check on that... He already took the tests and such, we're just waiting for the results..."  
  
"When can I see her...?"  
  
"Oh, in around a half hour, they're still fixing her..."  
  
"Ah, alright..."  
  
Twenty-five minutes later, the doctor walked up to Seifer.  
  
"Well... we have the information, if that's what you want. You can go see her now too..."  
  
"Yeah, okay... explain..."  
  
"The baby is going to be fine... No damage was done, it won't affect anything, but... Ms. Trepe will have to stay here for a few days."  
  
"Alright... What room is she in...?"  
  
"C14."  
  
"Thanks..." Seifer walked quickly down the hall to room C14. He opened the door, and stepped in. She was laying there, staring out the window. Her upper torso was wrapped up in white gauze.  
  
"Quistis?"  
  
"Seifer...!" She turned to face him, and made a painful noise when turning her body. 'Oh, Seifer... There you are... what took you so long...?'  
  
"Hey... How are ya?"  
  
"I'm doing okay. Its much less worse than it looks... Good thing Juan has bad aim..."  
  
"Hah... Hyne, I've never been so scared before..."  
  
"Heheh... what about me? I was so scared I'd never see you ever again... So scared I'd never see your eyes... Seifer..." Seifer pulled up a chair next to Quistis' bed.  
  
"Quistis... Oh Quistis... I don't think I could live without you now..."  
  
"Seifer." Seifer ran his fingers through her hair. He stared at her, wanting this to last forever. He now understood what Quistis felt when she said that she was afraid of what would happen when she let go... Seifer was afraid now too... Love... it was so scary. Quistis reached over and ran her hand down his face. She loved him. She seen a flash of light out of the corner of her eye, and she looked up. The press...? Of course, it was a suicide attempt murder... 'Not the press.... dammit.' Seifer looked over at Quistis, who groaned.  
  
"Hey!" He yelled, standing up. "Get the fuck away. She doesn't want to see you assholes. Don't you think she's had enough for one friggin' night??!" Now, Seifer can be pretty scary when he's upset. The reporters stared, and the cameras's were turned off. They walked away slowly.  
  
Quistis smiled.  
  
"Thank you, Seifer...."  
  
"Its nothing.... I really hate the press..." There was a pause.  
  
"Seifer, I'm so afraid that all of this is a dream, and I'll wake up alone..."  
  
"I sure hope not..."  
  
"Why is that...?"  
  
"Can't imagine life with out you, Quistis..." He said. She smiled. "I'd hug ya, but erm..." He motioned toward her shoulder and she giggled.  
  
"When do you think they'll let me out of here, Seifer?"  
  
"Well, the doctor said a few days..."  
  
"Serious?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Dammit..." She muttered. "Hey, Seifer... can you get me my hair clip...? Its over in my pocket..."  
  
"...Sure." Seifer went over to her clothes, which were laid out on a shelf, and pulled the clip out of her pocket. He walked back over and handed it to her.  
  
"Thanks... Its so hot in here..."  
  
"No its not..." Seifer placed his hand on Quistis' forehead. "Honey, you feel hot. Maybe you've got a fever. I'm gonna get the doctor..." 'Honey?' Quistis asked herself.  
  
"No, Seifer, I'm fine..."  
  
"No you're not." Seifer walked out the door. He seen the doctor flirting with one of the other nurses. Seifer cleared his throat loudly.  
  
"Oh. Sir, can I help you...?"  
  
"Yeah, go check on Quistis. I think she's got a fever."  
  
"Oh, right." The doctor left and walked toward Quistis' room. Seifer watched from the window as he took her temperature.  
  
"Yes, Ms. Trepe. You do have a fever, but it should pass. Nothing to worry about. I'll get you some medicine..." The doctor left the room and Seifer entered.  
  
"Hyne damned doctor doesn't know what he's talkin' about." Seifer said, taking his seat next to Quistis again. Quistis chuckled.   
"Quistis... can you tell me what happened... back there?" Quistis sighed. "You can wait, if you are still uncomfortable about it..." Seifer said, taking her hand. 'Maybe you will make a good father, Seifer...' Quistis thought to herself.  
  
"No, I can explain it now... Just let me put my hair up, ok?"  
  
"Sure..." Quistis reached behind her and gathered her hair, placing it against the back of her head, then reached up with her left hand, but dropped it immediatly and winced in pain.  
  
"You okay?!"  
  
"Heheh, yeah, I'm fine." Seifer reached over and took the clip from Quistis' hands, then gently turned her head to face away from him. He clipped her hair up for her, it didn't come out perfect, but it was okay-looking. Quistis turned back around and smiled at Seifer, who smiled back sheepishly.  
  
"Okay... Well, he came in through those two doors that lead to my balcony... and... I told him to leave. He wouldn't. Then he told me that when he killed me, we'd be together. Then he shot me. I guess he shot himself afterwards... I was so scared."  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Quistis."  
  
"Its alright... not your fault." Quistis said. The doctor returned, and gave Quistis two pills. She gulped them down, along with some water, and the doctor was about to leave, but he stepped back.  
  
"Sir, I think you should leave now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Visiting hour is over."  
  
"I don't care. I'm not a visitor."  
  
"Oh? Then are you a patient?"  
  
"Don't mess with me." Seifer sneered at the doctor, his eyes blazing. "I'll stay here as long as she stays here. Do you fucking understand?"  
  
"Y, yessir." The doctor walked nervously out of the room. Seifer smiled slyly, and Quistis laughed.  
  
"You know, you don't have to stay here. I mean, I can handle being alone..."  
  
"I don't want you to, though." Seifer said. Quistis smiled. 'You will make a good father, Seifer... you will... you just have to put your head to it... Oh, Seifer...'  
  
"Alright, Seifer... I'm gonna sleep now, can you turn off the lamp...?"  
  
"Sure." Seifer stood up and walked over to the lamp. He shut it off, and Quistis adjusted the bed to lay flat.  
  
"Good night, Seifer."  
  
"I love you, Quistis..." Quistis smiled to herself. She loved that phrase... coming from Seifer, that is.  
  
Quistis woke up the next morning at eight AM. She seen Seifer, his head rested on her lap. Still sitting on the chair. He had been there all night. She sighed, shaking her head and smiling.   
  
A doctor entered the room.  
  
"How are you feeling Ms. Trepe?"  
  
"I'm feeling... fine."  
  
"You don't mind this man being here... do you? If so, we can remove him..." He said, staring down at Seifer. And then a deep and tired voice was heard.  
  
"...You just try." Seifer muttered, sitting up.  
  
"He's no problem. I enjoy his presence." Quistis smiled softly.  
  
End Chapter 6. 


	7. Life

"What should we name her, Seifer?" Quistis stared down at the baby in her arms and smiled.   
  
"I dunno, what do you think?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking Tara. What do you think?"  
  
"That's a pretty name." Seifer smiled.  
  
It was nine months later, September 9th, and the child had just been born. It was cute, as most babies are, the only thing was that it was crying loudly.  
  
"I wish it would shut up though." Seifer said, rubbing his head.  
  
"Seifer..!" Quistis smiled. A few minutes later, a doctor came into the room and took the child away, saying that Quistis needed her rest.   
  
"I'm gonna let you rest, Quisty. I'll be back in a half hour, alright?"  
  
"Okay, Seifer." Seifer walked out of the room, and shut the door behind him. Quistis slowly closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
Seifer walked down to the cafeteria and looked around. Zell was there, eating a hot dog. 'Why in Hyne's name did she tell Zell to come? I mean, Zell, of all people!'  
  
"Yo, Seifa! What are you doing here?"  
  
"What am I doing here? ...I think the proper question is what are *you* doing here...?"  
  
"Well, I come here every afternoon. They got some great hotdogs goin' on...!" 'Oh, so he doesn't know. Might as well tell him.  
  
"Do ya know why I'm here?" Seifer asked, taking a seat next to him.  
  
"For the hot dogs...?"  
  
"No, chicken-wuss. It just so happens, that you are now talking to a father..."  
  
"Say WHAT?!"  
  
"Yeah, thats what I said..." Seifer laughed. "Erm, anyway, you wanna come see the baby? It's name is Tara."  
  
"Oh, yeah, man! I love kids! So, erm, who's the mother?" Zell asked, as they walked towards the Maternity Ward. Seifer paused.  
  
"Quistis..."  
  
"WHAT?! Yo, yo, yo. Wait a minute. Back at the hotel in Esthar, you really were..."  
  
"No... well, yes... but... after you came in..."  
  
"Hehe! Whoa!"  
  
"Man, chicken-wuss, you tell a soul, I'll bash your head in."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I won't... Hey, where's my four hundred gil?"  
  
"What four hundred gil...?"  
  
~~~  
  
Quistis woke up, and looked around her. Was it just a dream? No... She was officially a mother... Wow. Seifer walked into the room, with Zell Dincht following.  
  
"Hey, Quistis, look who I found in the cafeteria."  
  
"Yo, Quistis!"  
  
"Hello, Zell."  
  
"So, erm, Seifer and you... are you guys married?"  
  
"Yes... We were married in June."  
  
"Really?! You didn't invite me..!?"  
  
"It was sort of a private occassion..."  
  
"Oh. Well, I seen the baby. She's so cute!" Zell said, jumping up and down.  
  
"Stop that, Zell." Seifer snapped.  
  
"Y, yeah. Okay."  
  
"Zell?" Quistis asked.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Can you ask the doctor if I can see my baby?"  
  
"Sure thing!" Zell jogged out of the room, leaving Quistis and Seifer alone.  
  
"Seifer...?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Do you mind if I ask you something...? I mean, it may sound a little late, but I've been biulding up the courage to say it, and since they gave me some drug... Heh."  
  
"Go ahead..."  
  
"Seifer, you didn't just marry me because of the baby... I mean, just out of pity...?"  
  
"No! Of course not. I'd love you with or without the baby. I'll always love you, no matter what."  
  
~The End. 


End file.
